NIKERA BACKSTAGE

One on One with Spanish Designer, Elena Montes Casado

NB:  The concept is very unique! I mean a Lady with a umbrella as a head? Please explain.

Elena:  Thank you for thinking that it is unique. I got the idea for LadyUmbrella when I arrived in Ireland – I’m from Madrid, Spain and it doesn’t rain there as often as it does here..so, I saw lots of people with umbrellas and couldn’t really see peoples faces and from that I got the idea for LadyUmbrella…then, on flights from Madrid to Dublin I started to sketch out design ideas and work on trying to make an umbrella feminine…

NB:  In your beautiful designs Lady Umbrella seems to spend a ton of time with different animals.  Is this a  mirror image of your personal life as a designer? If not, what inspired you?

Elena:  One of the reasons is because LadyUmbrella is not a usual person so I couldn’t imagine her talking with other people..its LadyUmbrella in her own world and in her world I can’t imagine her talking to human beings so instead she has lots of feathered friends (for now). One of the things I like about the animals/birds in the designs is that they are more human than LadyUmbrella is herself and people can relate to them more than LadyUmbrella – even for the animals though LadyUmbrella is a little weird…In my own life I don’t have any animals or pets…Years ago I did have 2 little birds though, alas they are long gone now…

NB:  You Launch in November. Will there be a huge party or runway show in Ireland or will you simply launch via online?

Elena:  Yes, we hope to launch around the end of November and are planning on having some sort of party. This could be just a small thing and then we might have to have a retrospective big one somewhere but we’ll definitely mark the occasion with some event – of course you’re invited. Some, tapas, t-shirts, drinks and good times…can’t wait to launch.

NB:  How is the Industry in Ireland different from the US Fashion Industry? Pros and Cons

Elena:  To be honest I can’t really comment on the US fashion industry – I’ve never been to the States (yet). For us sourcing stuff has been tough as there isn’t a huge market here so it has taken a lot of time and effort to find suppliers who can produce the high quality tees we want. From a retail point of view I think that stuff is a lot more expensive over here and also with the currency the way it is it makes the gap in prices even more pronounced which will be a major con when trying to get some customers over in the States.. In the US there are lots and lots of great independent tee companies where as here there are only about 4 t-shirt companies (including us) I think – hopefully this will be a bit of a pro for us as we will be able to offer something different to the market (hopefully this will hold true in the states as well).

NB:  What does the woman look like who is wearing LadyUmbrella tees? (target market)

Elena:  Happy I hope… I want people to be happy where they are wearing LadyUmbrella. A lot of thought went into each design and we want to give people something to talk about when wearing LadyUmbrella..The woman who wears LadyUmbrella – on top of being happy, might be urban, chic, intelligent, quirky, interesting and willing to make a statement. Most of our designs come in strong colours and will hopefully get the wearer some attention that they want.

NB:  What is the future of LadyUmbrella?

Elena:  The future of LadyUmbrella is a world full of optimism. I’m already creating new designs for the next collection and am thinking about different kinds of clothes to put the designs on. I also want to create some more styles of t-shirt and make some accessories, also looking into some stationary ideas…the short term future might be t-shirts so that we can introduce ourselves to the world but after that we are limited only by our imagination.

NB:  What music inspires you during your time in the design studio and why?

Elena:  I love to listen to Yann Tiersen who did the soundtrack for “The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain” (which is a lovely film) because that music reminds me of the music from stories for small kids or my childhood which helps stimulate the imagination. I also like to listen to a group called “Bliss” and their album “Quiet Letters” because whilst its a tad melancholy its also “chill out” music which helps to inspire and relax me when I’m drawing – more for relaxation than inspiration though. Another music director I like is Emir Kusturica, who has a band called “The No Smoking Orchestra” (check out a song called Lost in the Supermarket), and has also scored the sound tracks for “Black Cat, White Cat” and “Underground” which I like to listen to because its upbeat and lively..the opposite to the other stuff I listen to so I have the yin and yang covered.
(Closing Remarks)
Elena:  Well, would just like to say thanks to Nicholette and Nikera Clothing for this interview – its my first one so thank you for introducing me and us to the world…hope to see you all on facebook so we can give you discounts…Stay Happy, besos, Elena Montes Casado.

LadyUmbrella Ltd.,
Designer Ladies T-Shirts,
Website – www.ladyumbrella.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/ladyumbrella
Twitter – www.twitter.com/ladyumbrellaltd
MySpace – www.myspace.com/ladyumbrellaltd

By: @nikeraclthng